Arrests WorldWide (Drug Enforcement)

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2,500 citizens are arrested abroad. One third of the arrests are on drug-related charges. Many of those arrested assumed as U.S. citizens that they could not be arrested. From Asia to Africa, Europe to South America, citizens are finding out the hard way that drug possession or trafficking equals jail in foreign countries.

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Drug Enforcement automatically monitors news articles and blog posts tracking breaking news of arrests and drug incidents as they happen worldwide .These inter-active News Reports are followed as they develop. Giving you the chance to comment on breaking stories as they happen. Drug Enforcement alerts you to topics that are frequently linked to and commented upon in the world press. Someone is arrested every 20 seconds for a drug related offense !Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the Blogspots terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of the Drug Enforcement site. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification.

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Friday, April 30

CBS 7 - Your Eye on West Texas: "33 year old Michael Dion Acrey was convicted on charges or possession and distribution of crack cocaine, and for using a juvenile to distribute the same drug.According to the US Attorney's office, Odessa Police were staking out a house in Odessa suspected of being a crack house.They say Acrey asked a juvenile to buy crack.Acrey was arrested after a search of his car found 17 grams of crack.Officers also found more than 150 grams of crack inside the home."

Major cocaine players arrested in eastern suburbs: police: "Police say they have arrested two key players in a major cocaine supply network operating in Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs.A 28-year-old Maroubra man and a 34-year-old North Bondi man were arrested and charged during two separate operations this week.Police allege the 28-year-old was involved in supplying half a kilogram of cocaine, with a potential street value of $171,000, to the eastern suburbs over the past three months.He is under police guard in hospital after crashing a car while trying to escape from officers in Maroubra last night.He allegedly threw a 140-gram packet of cocaine into the front yard of a house as he tried to run away, police said."

The Associated Press: Thai woman, Philippine man convicted in Cambodia: "Police arrested Chon Thong Theerat in June 2009 upon arrival from Malaysia at the Phnom Penh airport, where she walked through an X-ray security machine that showed she had swallowed a dozen condoms containing 400 grams of cocaine, said judge You Bunna.She led police to 36-year-old Luyo Romeo Plaza, who was waiting for the woman to deliver the drugs to a hotel, police said. The woman had traveled from Argentina and after stopping in Cambodia was headed to Thailand.The pair were held in pretrial detention, where the 29-year-old woman gave birth to her son. It was not clear if Plaza was the child's father.The court ordered each to serve 30-year prison terms and pay fines of $12,000. The woman's defense lawyer said he would appeal the verdict"

Tuesday, April 27

Heroin dealer jailed for 18 years - The Irish Times - Tue, Apr 27, 2010: "Michael Byrne (36), of Old Tower, Clondalkin, was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of possessing 32 kilograms of heroin in the Culmore Road area of Palmerstown on January 15th, 2008 following a six day trial last month.Judge Frank O’Donnell described the father-of-five as a “drug baron” who was “no small fry in the (drugs) industry”."

Stabroek News - Carry-on cocaine: "Ingenious couriers continue to attempt to carry cocaine onto foreign aircraft at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timerhi. Some of the culprits have been caught and punished but many others have succeeded."

CBP: Woman hid 7.5 lbs of cocaine in car battery : News : KGBT 4: "Houston woman is behind bars in the Rio Grande Valley after she allegedly tried to smuggle about $240,000 dollars worth of cocaine in her car battery.U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested Sanjuana S. Hernandez on federal drug charges Thursday.The 22-year-old Houston woman drove up from Mexico at Brownsville's B&M International Bridge inside a black 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe.Customs officers reported sending her to secondary inspection where they allegedly found six packages with 7.5 pounds of cocaine inside the car battery.Court records filed in the case show that Hernandez allegedly told customs officers that she was supposed to get paid $3,000 dollars to deliver the drugs to Houston."

Drug agency intercepts 3.2kg cocaine, apprehends seven suspects: "Onwuzurigbo Chibuike Gerald, 27, the agency added that it arrested six other drug peddlers that attempted to smuggle narcotics at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.According to the agency, Mr. Gerald was apprehended on his way from Brazil in an Emirate flight on April 4, and a total of 9.39kg narcotics were seized comprising 7.46kg of cocaine, 920g of heroin and 1.01kg of methamphetamine.“Onwuzurigbo Chijioke Gerald who claimed to have travelled to Brazil to buy clothes confessed to the crime,” said Mitchell Ofoyeju, spokesperson for the agency. “He said that a man he met in Brazil asked him to bring a bag to Nigeria for a fee of N500,000.” Hamza Umar, MMIA"

Noriega Extradited to France to Face Charges - NYTimes.com: "Noriega had lost a court battle seeking to be returned to Panama after completing a federal prison term. In 1999, he was convicted in France in absentia of laundering more than $3 million in drug profits by buying luxury apartments there. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. France has agreed to hold a new trial. Mr. Noriega was also convicted in Panama of ordering the murder of political opponents, as well as embezzlement and corruption."

Sweeping U.S. indictments brought against Mexican Drug Cartels: But few in custody | Blogs Daily News: "Vicente Carrillo Fuentes is alleged to be the leader of the violent Juarez Cartel, which operates in the Juarez-El Paso corridor, one of the primary drug smuggling routes along the U.S. Mexican border in the Southwest United States. The DEA estimates that approximately 90 percent of the cocaine that enters the United States comes through Mexico. The Juarez Cartel allegedly received multi-ton cocaine shipments in Mexico from the Colombian Norte Valle Cartel and from the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), a Colombian paramilitary organization and a major drug trafficking organization. According to the indictment, the Juarez Cartel maintained its power through the payment of bribes and through numerous acts of terror, including kidnappings and murder."

Monday, April 26

FOXNews.com - Colombia nabs major drug, paramilitary suspect: "Colombian police say they have captured a leading figure in a drug trafficking, right-wing militia group.The director of the national police says Danit Doria Castillo was arrested in the northern state capital Monteria.National police director Oscar Naranjo said Sunday that the arrest is a potential breakthrough in investigations into killings by a right-wing paramilitary group known as the Calima bloc in Colombia's southeast.Doria Castillo was wanted in connection with the production of cocaine in Meta and Guaviare states. An international arrest warrant alleges he smuggled of tons of cocaine to the U.S. and Europe."

Saturday, April 24

Jury convicts last man with ties to Spenard drug-smuggling ring: Crime | adn.com: "final member of a Spenard-area drug trafficking organization has been convicted on federal drug conspiracy and possession charges, according to the U.S. attorney. A jury convicted Isaias Martinez of Anchorage on the charges Tuesday. According to prosecutors, Martinez was one of the intended recipients of a package authorities intercepted containing 976 pills of ecstasy, 12 grams of crack and 25 grams of heroin."

'Cocaine was worth more to you ... than a life': judge: "parents of a young man who was stripped, chained to a chair and beaten after he tried to make some money as a drug mule urged others not to make the same mistake.'Do not be lured by this so-called easy money and the glamorous life that you think a gang member or drug trafficker has,' said Ian and Marlyn Ferguson in a statement Friday.Just moments before, the seventh man convicted in connection with the death of their son, Graeme Ferguson, a former security guard, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.Paul Layoun, 31, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, conspiracy to kidnap and forcibly confine Ferguson, conspiracy to possess cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and a raft of weapons-related offences.His sentence brings to an end the five-year effort to identify and punish Ferguson's killers."

The Daily Reflector: ", Mary Sneed Stocks, 58, from 3001 No. 55 Golden Road, Greenville, were Anthony Sean Yancey, 33, 135 W. Victoria Court, Greenvillested. After further investigation a third person, Lotroy Whitehead, 26, 620 Clark St., Greenville, was located in Greenville and arrested.Yancey was charges with five counts of trafficking heroin and two counts of conspiring traffic heroin and was jailed under a $2 million bond. Stocks was charged with one count of felony possession of heroin and was jailed under a $3,000 bond; and Whitehead was charged with four counts of trafficking heroine, two counts conspiring to traffick heroine and two counts sale and delivery of heroine and was jailed under a $1.2 million bond."

mySouTex.com - Deputies arrest pair on heroin charges: "Donny Dee Rodriguez and the passenger as John Bradford Abel. Caddell said both men were 28 years old. Sgt. Craig Gisler assisted in the arrest and subsequent investigation, during which deputies found between two and four grams of heroin in the vehicle.Both men were charged with possession of a controlled substance, heroin, 1-4 grams. The offense is a third degree felony punishable by a prison term of from two to ten years and a fine of as much as $10,000 if they are convicted.Officials at the Bee County Jail said later Wednesday that bond had been set at $2,000 for Rodriguez and at $3,000 for Abel."

timesofmalta.com - Charged with trafficking heroin in prison: "Josette Bickle, 40, Valletta, was charged with trafficking 6.5 grammes of the drug between 2006 and 2008. She was also accused of trying to import heroin into prison.The court heard that Ms Bickle was found out during an inquiry that had been held at the prisons.Lawyer Franco Debono was defence counsel."

Wednesday, April 21

I'm Not Cocaine Baron - Accra Mail :: Ghana News Leaders - Ghana News Main News: "MV Benjamin cocaine saga in which over 70 parcels of cocaine disappeared into thin air, is resurfacing, as one of the convicted persons, Alhaji Isa Abass, has strongly contended that he has nothing to do with cocaine. Isa Abass, who was freed along with his fellow jailbird, Kwabena Amaning alias Tagor, after serving part of his sentence in the MV Benjamin cocaine saga, has spoken out about what for him was the undue association of his name with cocaine a few days ago"

Hells Angels associate sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison - Winnipeg Free Press: "Allen Morrison, 38, was one of 18 people targeted during Project Drill, in which a secret agent was paid $625,000 plus expenses to conduct a series of drug deals which were captured by police audio and video surveillance.Morrison was caught in 2007 arranging four major cocaine deals in which he sent a lower-level 'courier' to meet with the agent at various city locations, including Polo Park Shopping Centre, Shoppers Drug Mart, Burger King and A&W in which cash and drugs changed hands.Morrison was a longtime biker associate, officially deemed a 'Hangaround', who was slowly climbing the criminal ladder at the time of his arrest, court was told."

Former pastor faces drug-dealing charge - JSOnline: "John West, 59, and nine others, including his son, were indicted with conspiracy to sell heroin from summer 2009 until March. A mother and her adult son are among those charged.Court documents describe West as the leader of the group that often went to Chicago to buy heroin, developed an 'innovative way of cutting' the drug to maximize profits, hired armed enforcers to protect the operation and personally carried a gun.West was ordained in 1969 and most recently was a pastor with his wife, Linda Hughes, at the Prayer House of Deliverance, according to his attorney and court documents.Hughes said she and West split more than a year ago and since then she has been the only pastor at the church, near N. 9th and W. Center streets. Authorities went to the church looking for West, after they received a tip he was hiding there, Hughes said."

Wednesday, April 14

Gazette Live - News - Local News - Courier caught with £3,000 of drugs jailed: "Brian Baxter, 31, of Selkirk Close, acted as a courier to sell the drugs, Teesside Crown Court heard.Baxter, who has previously spent four years in jail for burglary, was found in possession of the class A drugs in February last year.The court heard that Baxter was walking in the Grove Hill area of Middlesbrough with another man when they caught the attention of the police.Baxter cycled off but was stopped and taken to Middlesbrough Police Station."

Drug cartel boss gets 15 years in prison - The Times-Herald: "Ramiro Luna-Urbina, described as the 'number one guy' in a major drug cartel accused of smuggling drugs from Mexico into the U.S., was sentenced Monday by Coweta Superior Court Judge Jack Kirby to 30 years, with 15 to serve in prison. Luna-Urbina pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit trafficking in cocaine and trafficking in cocaine, according to Ray Mayer, assistant district attorney with the Coweta Judicial Circuit. Luna-Urbina, an illegal alien from Laredo, Texas, will face deportation. He must also pay a $300,000 fine."

Naharnet Newsdesk - Israel Releases Lebanese Jailed on Charges of Drug Smuggling: "Israeli authorities on Wednesday released Lebanese citizen Ahmed Mohammed al-Mustafa who was arrested in the area of Wazzani in 2008 on charges of smuggling drugs to the Palestinian territories.The International Committee of the Red Cross was handed over al-Mustafa, 48, through the Naqoura border crossing. Lebanese authorities later took custody of the man.Newspaper reports said Wednesday that Israeli troops arrested al-Mustafa on October 4, 2008. His family knew about his whereabouts only seven months after his arrest when it received a letter from the ICRC saying he was jailed in Israel on charges of drug smuggling.

Tuesday, April 13

Sisters sentenced for smuggling suspected drug money | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "San Benito sisters were sentenced to federal prison Monday for trying to smuggle into Mexico nearly $400,000 of suspected drug money that had been picked up in Houston.Zu-Haidy Berenice Torres, 31, and Karla Judith Torres, 25, were each sentenced to two years in prison for evading a currency reporting requirement, according to federal authorities.They each must also serve three years of supervised release.They were convicted Jan. 7 after pleading guilty.Federal officials said the pair tried to smuggle $399,113 in cash across the border at the Los Indios International Bridge in Brownsville on Aug 12.Karla Torres told authorities a man in Mexico she knew only as “Gordo“ paid her $5,000 to pick up the cash in Houston. She said she believed the cash was drug money, though officials did not elaborate on her contention.Federal officials said Karla Torres told them she picked up the money in the parking lot of a Houston Wal-Mart, where a man she didn't know gave her a black briefcase stuffed with the cash.Once she got to the Rio Grande Valley, she asked her sister to help her smuggle the money across the border.At the border crossing, agents noticed that the sisters appeared nervous and searched them and their Ford Expedition.They discovered cash hidden in the lining of the women's purses and stashed under the SUV's back seat, federal authorities said.Federal regulations require people to declare money in excess of $10,000 when they cross the border into Mexico"

79 Malaysians jailed abroad for drugs: "729 Malaysians, half of them women, are serving jail terms overseas for drug trafficking after they were used by syndicates as drug mules, said Deputy Foreign Minister A. Kohilan Pillay.“Women including university graduates and single mothers aged between 20 and 35 often fall prey to promises of job opportunities overseas with lucrative salaries.“But they end up being arrested for drug trafficking,” he said during the winding up of the Supplementary Supply Bill.Kohilan also noted that most of the Malaysians were in prisons in Thailand, followed by Taiwan and Singapore.To questions about Datuk Arshad Hussain, who served as Malaysia’s Permanent Repre­sentative to the United Nations in Vienna, Kohilan said his contract had ended recently."

VPD and courts crack down on notorious Hells Angels member - News1130: "Juel Ross Stanton was arrested and charged in connection with two violent incidents at the Ivanhoe Pub.VPD Inspector Brad Desmarais (in charge the Gangs and Drugs Section) says Stanton, 41, was intimidating members of the public, by flaunting his Hells Angels status to avoid being arrested. Police say that included showing graphic tattoos on many locations on his body which clearly indicate he is a member of the Hells Angels. Desmarais says the use of gang paraphernalia as an intimidation tool will not be tolerated.Desmarais says the club must bear some responsibility for Stanton’s actions, and the VPD are serving notice to the Hells Angels that this level of violence will not be tolerated. They'll also be examining their current and future enforcement options with respect to the East End chapter of the Hells Angels. Stanton is charged with possession of a dangerous weapon, assault causing bodily harm, possession of a prohibited weapon, and carrying a concealed weapon. A judge imposed what police are calling extraordinarily strict release conditions, which include:"

Four Somerset County residents are arrested for possessing, distributing cocaine | - NJ.com: "Robert Brown Sr., 42, of Highland Place in Bound Brook, was charged with third-degree cocaine distribution, and Troy Ferguson, 47, of Somerset Street in Somerville, was charged with third-degree cocaine possession, Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said. Diedria Stewart, 32, of Fairview Avenue in Somerville and Charles Dulin Jr., 50, of Caine Court in Bridgewater, were charged with a disorderly persons count for possession of drug paraphernalia, Forrest said. Ferguson, Stewart and Dulin were released on their own recognizance, and Brown’s bail was set at $20,000. The investigation by the prosecutor’s Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force and Somerville police led authorities to obtain a warrant to search Brown, and a warrant for Stewart’s dwelling, Forrest said.At about 4 p.m. Friday, authorities established surveillance near Fairview Avenue. While there, task force members saw Brown on East Main Street, where he allegedly engaged in a hand-to-hand drug transaction with Ferguson. When authorities approached, Ferguson tried to discard a bag containing cocaine, and Brown was found with $516 in cash, Forrest said. Task force members and Somerville police then raided Stewart’s apartment on Fairview and found her there with Dulin, Forrest said. Police seized a glass stem smoking pipe and arrested the pair without incident."

3 sentenced for roles in heroin case - Roanoke.com: "Matthew Clarke Davis, 29, met two heroin addicts after his release from rehab and helped them plunder a home in Roanoke's Preston Park neighborhood that contained a collection of about 3,000 guns, said his attorney, Randy Cargill, of the federal public defender's office. Davis helped swap the guns for heroin he and his two friends used, according to the prosecution. Last summer, a day after testifying to a grand jury, Davis tried to kill himself, Cargill said. Davis' sister, Patricia Hoose, testified Monday he has since reached a better place 'and wants to change,' Hoose said.'I just want to obey the law and move on and get this behind me,' Davis said.Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Wolthuis filed a motion acknowledging Davis' help in providing evidence."

3 sentenced for roles in heroin case - Roanoke.com: "Judge James Turk sentenced Davis to 27 months on each charge, to run concurrently, followed by four years of supervision by the federal probation office.One of the people Davis contacted to make his guns-for-heroin exchanges was Larry Allen Perdue Jr., 26.Perdue, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin and two gun charges, told the judge Monday he started using heroin after seeing friends do it.His comment came minutes after his aunt, Janice Bradley, took the witness stand to describe Perdue as a follower who now wants to live better.'I think he learned a lesson when he had to go to his mother's viewing in shackles and handcuffs' last fall, Bradley said.As in Davis' case, prosecutors filed a motion recognizing Perdue's cooperation, also allowing the judge to avoid mandatory minimum sentences. Turk sentenced Perdue to six years' imprisonment, followed by four years of supervision."

ST. LOUIS: Inmate gets 12 years for drug smuggling - STLtoday.com: "Corey Louis Hines, 38, has been sentenced to 12 more years in prison for smuggling drugs into the federal lockup at Marion, Ill., where he is an inmate, officials said Monday. Hines was caught in September 2009 trying to bring in marijuana using a visitor, and later admitted successfully smuggling pot, heroin and tobacco to sell to others, prosecutors said. His new sentence will follow a 95-month term he was serving for aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit Social Security fraud, for crimes committed in Missouri"

Monday, April 12

Police find cocaine on son of MP - mirror.co.uk: "MP's son has been cautioned by police for possessing a class-A drug.Damien Foster, 35, had a small amount of cocaine when he was arrested outside a pub on Friday.He said it was for personal use, 'accepted a caution and was released', police said."

Sunday, April 11

The Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday jailed 47-year-old I.W. and 43-year-old E.M., to 25 years each, although they admitted possessing the heroin for personal consumption and denied trafficking purposes.Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir said the accused will be deported after completing their sentences.Prosecutors charged I.W. and E.M. of smuggling and possessing heroin in different forms of fabric reels for trafficking purposes.They were additionally charged with consuming opium and hashish.An Emirati anti-narcotics first lieutenant testified that an informant tipped the Anti-Narcotics Department that I.W. was searching for someone to buy heroin from him in Naif."We arrested the accused near the Fish Market as part of a sting operation… upon searching them, we found $10,800 (nearly Dh40,000) hidden inside a bag which was attached to E.M.'s belly inside his clothes."We did not find the drugs. We seized the heroin-stuffed reels when we raided their flat in Rifaa," the first lieutenant said.

GANG JAILED; Seven dealers who sold drugs close to school are locked up: Dealers sold drugs near school, court told. - Free Online Library: "Mulraney and his gang of 'runners' repeatedly sold Class A drugs, mainly on Kimberley Drive and Harpenden Walk, in close proximity to Pallister Park Primary School. The runners who appeared in the court dock alongside Mulraney were Andrew Mills, 49, Peter Catterick, 25, Mark Teasdale, 31, Mark WellsMark Wells (born September 18, 1957 in St. Clair Shores, Michigan) is a retired American ice hockey forward. He is best known for being a member of the Miracle On Ice 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team won the gold medal. ..... Click the link for more information., 42, Carl Green, 24, and Paul Stephens, 29, all of Middlesbrough. All seven defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. The court heard Catterick was caught supplying on five occasions,Mills four,Wells two, Green two, and Stephens and Teasdale one occasion each. Mulraney himself, despite being the group's organiser, supplied drugs personally on four occasions."

Saturday, April 10

Aldergrove Star - 10 years for drug smuggling: "Bradley Keith Bourque, 35, was sentenced in a Seattle courtroom to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute ecstasy.He was arrested Oct. 20, 2009, and pleaded guilty on Jan. 6, 2010. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart emphasized the serious nature of the offence and called attention to the secret smuggling compartment built into Bourque’s truck.He was arrested as he delivered about 200,000 ecstasy pills weighing 51.5 kilos to undercover agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He was caught bragging to officers about his smuggling, and had a special secret compartment built into his GMC pickup truck. The secret compartment contained another 11 kilos of ecstasy pills and more than six kilos of ecstasy powder. Border crossing records show Bourque had crossed from Canada into the U.S. five times in 2009 prior to his arrest.“For some time, Bradley Keith Bourque operated as a professional drug smuggler, carrying large loads of ecstasy into the United States,” Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scoville wrote in his sentencing memo. “The court should not let pass the opportunity to send a message to would-be Canadian drug smugglers by imposing a substantial sentence on Bourque.”"

Star: SA woman on death row for drug smuggling: "Janice Linden, 35, was sentenced in July last year after she was convicted of drug smuggling in China. A higher court in China yesterday upheld Linden's death sentence following an appeal hearing in November. Linden was arrested after customs found about three kilograms of methamphetamines in her luggage following her arrival at Baiyun International Airport in the southern city of Guangzhou in November 2008. A court statement reportedly said Linden had 'attempted to evade supervision of Chinese customs to smuggle a large amount of drugs into the country'. The court, therefore, had decided it 'should allow no leniency', the statement said. The upholding of Linden's sentence comes after Chinese authorities on Tuesday executed Mitsunobu Akano, the first Japanese citizen to be put to death since the two nations normalised diplomatic ties in 1972. That execution of the drug trafficker was followed by the execution of three more Japanese drug traffickers yesterday. The three executions were carried out in the north-eastern cities of Dalian and Shenyang after approval by the Supreme People's Court, a report said. The agency named the three convicted drug smugglers as Teruo Takeda, 67; Hironori Ukai, 48; and Katsuo Mori, 67, but the method of execution was not released"

Trial dates set in alleged gang killing - Salt Lake Tribune: "Antonie 'Hunter' Farani, who was 14 when he shot and killed Brandsatt, is charged with one count of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated kidnapping and five counts of aggravated robbery. Spencer Isaiah Cater, 19, and Jeremiah 'Jay' Ha'k Williamson, 27, are each charged with the same charges, except they are charged with murder instead of aggravated murder. A fourth participant, 20-year-old Shardise 'Kaiso' Malaga pleaded guilty to her role in the crime last month and was sentenced to serve 15 years to life in prison. Judge William Barrett on Friday scheduled trial dates for Farani, Cater and Williamson from Oct. 12 through Oct. 22. Attorneys for the defendants at one point discussed separate trials for each defendant, but Barrett has scheduled all the defendants to be tried together. Farani confessed to killing Brandstatt on Feb. 6, 2009, in a videotaped interview with West Valley City police, according to prior court testimony. The teen, who turned 15 on Nov. 23, said he was high on marijuana and pressured to pull the trigger by Cater, who allegedly believed the victim 'knew too much.'"

Albany police arrest four adults, one juvenile on drug charges: "Carlets Washington, 37, Anthony Hawkins, 19, Bobby Davis, 19, and Christopher Davis, 17, all of Albany, are in Dougherty County Jail charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, a jail spokeswoman said.In addition, those arrested also face charges of possession of cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a park, said Dan McMullen, drug unit investigator.The juvenile’s name could not be released, but he is in the Regional Youth Detention Center, McMullen said.“They had 6.4 grams of crack and powder cocaine,” McMullen said. “And they had 85.4 grams of marijuana.”The street value of the drugs was put at $600 for the cocaine and $850 for the marijuana by the drug unit.The drugs were confiscated along with around $1,000 worth of stolen merchandise found at a 1309 Society Ave. residence Thursday when Albany police executed a search warrant based on a resident’s tip.Albany police have not yet charged the same men in connection with the stolen merchandise, according to a police spokeswoman. The case remains under investigation."

Bowling Green Daily News: "Robert Mitchell “Herman” Martin, 46, Trebor Kashan Patterson, 30, Katrena Yvette Bowman, 34, and Jason Alan Dixon, 36, were each named in a seven-count federal indictment and arrested Thursday.Each has been charged with conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine and more than 500 grams of cocaine.Martin is charged additionally with three counts of aiding and abetting distribution of 105 grams or more of crack cocaine, while Patterson and Bowman also each have been charged with distribution of cocaine.Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and officers from the Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force, South Central Kentucky Drug Task Force, Kentucky State Police, Bowling Green Police Department and Warren County Sheriff’s Office took part in the 18-month investigation, dubbed “Operation Shockwave” by law enforcement.The group made initial court appearances Friday morning at U.S. District Court in Louisville. The federal grand jury handed down indictments in the case Wednesday that were unsealed two days later.

“We were pleased with the progress of the investigation and we appreciate the cooperative work of all the agencies involved,” said Supervisory Special Agent Kevin Kelm, resident agent in charge at the ATF’s Louisville Field Division.

Officers seized crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana and several ounces of anabolic steroids while making arrests."

Essex Police launched an investigation after being handed a video, which led to Ted's arrest.

It is alleged the deal took place in the toilets of the Unit 4 wine bar in Chafford Hundred, yards from Ted's modern terraced home.

'We can confirm a 55-year-old man from Chafford Hundred has been charged with the supply of cocaine, which is a Class A drug. He has been bailed to appear before Basildon Magistrates' Court on May 13,' The Sun quoted Essex Police, as saying.

Jobless Ted was said to have bragged how his 29-year-old son had given him a 15,000-pound Rolex.

The newspaper claimed Ted asked the journalist, posing as a chauffeur, not to tell his boss about his links to the 160,000 pound-a-week Chelsea superstar."

Drug trafficker gets five years in U.S. prison: "Nen Angel Cruces, 23, was convicted in the same cross-border smuggling ring that saw North Vancouver's Krysta Edwards sentenced to five years late last month.The pair and others were transporting the party drug BZP, as well as ecstasy, across the B.C.-Washington border to a Bellingham storage facility they rented, and then arranging shipments to the Chicago area by train.BZP, which is often sold by B.C. gangs as ecstasy, is still legal in Canada, though it has been added to the banned list in the U.S., the U.K., New Zealand, Australia and other countries.U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones told Cruces on Friday that 'this court considers BZP to be a very dangerous drug.'"

American Airlines worker faces drug charges - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com: "Miguel Angel Vento, 43, of Doral was charged with drug possession with intent to distribute after a traffic stop in Miami-Dade on Thursday, when law enforcement officers said they found packages of cocaine and marijuana in his car.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized narcotics paraphernalia, packaging material and other evidence at Vento's home. Vento is vice president of the Transport Workers Union, Local 568, authorities said."

Traffic stop turns into big heroin bust | KATU.com - Breaking News, Sports, Traffic and Weather - Portland, Oregon | Local & Regional: "Police recovered seven to 10 pounds of uncut heroin packaged in bricks or logs worth nearly $500,000, enough to supply thousands of potentially deadly hits. The drug was found packed in the bumper of a blue Kia minivan, stuffed in two compartments.“There’s about 450 grams in a pound and a .1 gram of heroin can sometimes kill somebody,” said Sgt. Greg Stewart with the Portland Police Bureau.The drugs, along with some other items, were seized during the stop Friday morning around Northeast 181st and Sandy. Police said during the stop they saw signs that indicated narcotics were being transported in the vehicle."

Third person sentenced in cocaine conspiracy | wisconsinrapidstribune.com | Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: "Alfredo Herrera, 27, Stevens Point, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb to 60 months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy with others in the Bancroft and Plainfield areas to distribute cocaine from 2006 through 2009.Herrera was one of six people indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2009 and is the third defendant to be sentenced.Juan 'Paco' Rodriguez-Moreno, 28, of Almond, and James Boe, 22, of Plainfield, were sentenced earlier this month to 10 years in prison each for their involvement. Ramone Molina-Marin was sentenced March 19 to 21 months in prison for his involvement in distribution of cocaine at a Wisconsin Rapids bar in November 2007. Crabb is scheduled to sentence Anselmo Herrera and Vanessa Rodriguez next week.Five of the defendants pleaded guilty to their involvement in cocaine trafficking charges before trial. Alfredo Herrera was found guilty of distributing and conspiring to distribute cocaine Feb. 2 in federal court in Madison after a two-day jury trial. Evidence showed that during 2007 and 2008, Alfredo Herrera assisted his brother Anselmo 'Memo' Herrera in the distribution of cocaine to numerous customers and lower-level distributors with whom Anselmo Herrera had an ongoing relationship as their cocaine supplier."

Cempaka Health, Welfare and Society: Malaysians nabbed for drug smuggling: "Oen B. Giap, who works as a welder, and Wong CH, an air conditioner technician.The suspects arrived on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong on Thursday.“The suspects confessed to investigators that they were promised MYR 16,000 [Rp 45 million] if they handed the drugs to a connection in Jakarta,” Bahaduri said.“They were apparently part of an international drug-smuggling syndicate,” he said.He said his office received a tip-off on the two suspects before they arrived in Jakarta.He said officers spotted them easily as both looked suspicious with bulky waistlines due to the drug packets.He said the suspects would be charged with violating the 2009 Narcotics Law. If found guilty, they face the death sentence."

Friday, April 9

CBC News - Saskatchewan - $6.5M cocaine stop leads to B.C. arrest: "discovery of drugs led to the arrest of the driver and lone occupant of the car, Troy Swanson, 23, also from Vernon, B.C.Swanson's co-accused is Brock Ernest Palfrey, police said in release issued Thursday.Swanson has already made one court appearance in Saskatchewan. Police said Palfrey will be taken to Saskatchewan for his court matters.Both men face a variety of drug-related charges.Police added that three homes in the Vernon area were searched as part of their investigation on Wednesday. They said they found three firearms and a large amount of cash.Police said the case involved officers working in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan."

China executes 3 more Japanese for drug smuggling - dnaindia.com: "three Japanese who were put to death in Liaoning included Teruo Takeda, 67, who was convicted of buying about 5 kg of methamphetamine in China in 2003 and instructing another Japanese to take the drugs out of China, Xinhua said. The two others were 48-year-old Hironori Ukai and 67-year-old Katsuo Mori, it said.While relations have improved of late, the two countries regularly clash over Japan's wartime past in China and various territorial disputes.Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama is likely to express concern about the executions in possible bilateral talks with President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of a summit on nuclear security in Washington next week, Japanese media said on Friday. In December, China executed a Briton, also for drug smuggling, prompting a British outcry over what it said was the lack of any mental health assessment. China has executed other foreign nationals for drug offences. It recently executed an Afghan citizen, and there are Nigerians and Filipinos on death row."

Four Arrested In Bronx Heroin Bust - NY1.com: "Four people were arrested Thursday in connection with a drug bust in the Bronx.Police seized seven kilos of heroin worth an estimated $1 million at an apartment building located at 2112 Starling Avenue in Parkchester.They also found scales and other drug paraphernalia.Investigators say the arrests are part of a larger drug trafficking ring.'I've seen there's a lot of undercover and FBI is there. I was asking them what happened, they didn't tell me nothing. Later on I seen them capture four people in there,' said one neighborhood resident.Two of the defendants are being held without bail.Bail was set for the remaining two at $250,000 and $500,000.The highest possible charge they face is criminal possession of a controlled substance, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years if convicted."

CASEYVILLE: Man admits distributing cocaine - STLtoday.com: "Ace Hart II of Caseyville pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The charges stem from crimes in St. Clair County between September 2007 and May 2009. The distribution charges carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million and at least three years of supervised release. On the conspiracy charge, Hart, 31, could face five to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million and at least three years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for July 10."

Friday, April 2

Oscar Alonso Escajeda-Candelaria, known as "La Gata (the cat)," pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute more than a ton of marijuana and more than 11 pounds of cocaine.U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone sentenced Escajeda-Candelaria after he admitted smuggling about 3,000 pounds of marijuana a month into the U.S. from 2002 to 2005."Escajeda was a significant leader within a Mexican drug trafficking organization, responsible for the importation and subsequent distribution of thousands of pounds of marijuana into the United States. Today justice was served," said Carmen Coutino, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in El Paso.The U.S. attorney's staff said Escajeda-Candelaria, 38, also admitted that he was involved in the standoff on the Rio Grande, a case that made international news and led to a congressional hearing because of allegations that the Mexican army was involved.Hudspeth County sheriff's deputies and armed men dressed as Mexican soldiers faced off Jan. 23, 2006, over a drug-loaded vehicle that got stuck in the Rio Grande. The drugs were unloaded and taken into Mexico, and the vehicle was set on fire. No shots were fired.Part of the standoff was videotaped and was the topic of a House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C. The Mexican government, which turned over Escajeda-Candelaria to U.S. authorities in 2009, has denied the military was involved.Escajeda-Candelaria is suspected of being a high-ranking member of the Escajeda drug family, which reportedly controls the smuggling corridor along the river east of El Paso.He is the brother of the reputed ringleader Jose Rodolfo "El Rikin" Escajeda, who was captured by Mexican authorities in 2009 and suspected in the deaths of anti-crime activist Benjamin LeBaron and LeBaron's brother-in-law Luis Carlos Whitman Galeana, in Chihuahua.LeBaron, a dual U.S.-Mexico citizen, was killed after the birth of a community protest movement that called for the release of LeBaron's kidnapped brother, Eric, military officials said.Mexican newspapers have reported that Jose Rodolfo Escajeda may also be behind the shooting that killed 18 men in a Juárez drug rehab center in 2009.Officials said the arrest of Jose Rodolfo Escajeda struck a heavy blow against the Juárez drug cartel, which has been entangled in a bloody war with the Sinaloa drug cartel over the drug trafficking routes in the El Paso area.

Rene Lugo-Lopez, 28, and Juan Salazar-Uriarte, 23 were arrested on multiple drug charges including possession of narcotic drugs for sale, sale of narcotic drugs, weapons misconduct, and drug transportation charges. Javier Guerrero, 29, was found to be a deported felon and arrested early in the investigation on various federal violations for re-entering the United Sates.Authorities added that the investigation revealed that the vast majority of heroin addicts this group supplied were in their late-teen and early-twenties. Officials said that on several occasion the dealers would intentionally seek out users that had gone through drug rehabilitation with the intent of giving them heroin on the day they exited treatment to continue their addiction.The METRO officers along side ICE agents conducted hundreds of hours of surveillance and carried out numerous undercover buys resulting in the arrests of three men

Blair Alford , 55, was given a 40-month sentence Thursday, becoming the first of 31 people swept up in the 13-month investigation — which focused on the activities of members and associates of the Zig Zag Crew, a Hells Angels support group — to be sent to prison.The businessman pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine during a July 2009 drug deal with an undercover police informant, a ZZC member referred to as Agent 22.Paid $450,000 and put in witness protection, the agent bought drugs and ordered guns during recorded transactions, said Crown attorney Chris Mainella.A longtime coke and pot dealer, the agent was affiliated with the ZZC since 2002 and worked for years under a Hells Angels member, Mainella said.The cocaine Alford delivered was 60% pure and hidden in a baby formula container, court heard.Police secretly recorded video and audio of the deal, which took place in the parking lot of a Rona store on Kenaston Boulevard, Mainella said.Alford delivered 12 ounces to the informant in exchange for $16,500, Mainella said.Afterwards, police followed Alford to Blair’s Trucking, his business.The deal was arranged by the agent and a B.C. man whose charges are unresolved, court was told.The pair met weeks earlier with a mutual friend, who was also charged, at a Moxie’s restaurant on Kenaston and traded cellphone messages.Court heard Alford drove the B.C. man to the meeting.The Crown alleges the B.C. man had a much larger role in the drug-trafficking network and has ties to Vancouver’s Independent Soldiers gang.Mainella said Alford didn’t need to get involved because he ran a successful business which supported his family.“The only explanation one can take from this is greed,” Mainella said.Court of Queen’s Bench Justice William Burnett rejected Alford’s claim he met the man a few days earlier and offered to help out of goodwill.“He was from out of town, he didn’t know the city very well so I offered to drop it off, not knowing how much trouble I was going to get into,” Alford said.Alford has been in custody since his arrest last December. He was given four months of time-served credit, meaning he has three years left to serve.The sentence was a joint recommendation by Mainella and Alford’s lawyer, Stephen Friesen.

arrest of five people on drug-related charges and the seizure of cocaine and more than $180,000 in cash.

Agents from Brunswick County, South Carolina and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, served a search warrant March 25 at a residence in Loris, S.C., where they found the cash, a stockpile of weapons and more than two kilograms of cocaine, according to a news release from the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Officer.Zacarias Gomes Espinosa, 34; Jorge Rivera Albarran, 47; and Esteban Rivera, 18; were each charged with trafficking cocaine, trafficking in ice, crank or crack, and possession of firearms by an unlawful alien.The suspects there were armed, and agents seized several handguns, assault rifles and shotguns, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition during the search, the news release said.The Brunswick County drug unit had been investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in the southern end of the county when agents learned the organization was rooted in South Carolina. Agents in both areas worked together to find the hub of the drug operation in Loris, which was believed to be responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars of cocaine being distributed throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.Christopher Jerome Elleby, 29, was charged with trafficking cocaine and trafficking in ice, crank or crack.Roberto Fonesca, 30, was charged with trafficking cocaine.

Seven suspects were arrested in a joint collaboration between Dubai and Sharjah Police for possessing, smuggling, trafficking, and using narcotics.The narcotics unit of Dubai Police received information about the presence of a suspect trafficking narcotics in Naif. The suspect provided a capsule with heroin in it as a sample to a potential client.According to Major General Abdul Jaleel Mahdi, Director of the general department for combating narcotics at Dubai Police,

the suspect identified as G.M.H. was monitored and arrested.He confessed that he supplied a sample and that the rest of the items are with another suspect, identified as M.Sh, who resided in Sharjah was arrested along with three suspects and two women who were with him at the apartment.M.Sh's wife, who had capsules of heroin stashed in her intestine, was among the two women arrested

.Around 4.6 kg of heroin were collected in the operation. The suspects are being detained at Al Qusais Police Station.
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